Dangerous Games
by girlfromgallifrey
Summary: I never thought I would see her again. Times had changed...She had changed. I wasn't even sure if she was the same person anymore...
1. Of Fights and Secret Deals

**Dangerous Games: Chapter 1 Of fights and secret deals**

**Disclaimer: I do not own, nor do I claim to own, the Maximum Ride story or characters, I'm simply borrowing them with no intent of return. **

"Yeah? Well I hope I never see you again!" Fang screamed as Max pushed heavily into the night. He had thought they were over this; he had thought she was alright with him going to the movies with Andrea. Obviously she wasn't… He stared at the receding speck in the sky.

"Where did Max go? Her thoughts seemed so sad a minute ago," Angel whispered behind Fang. He started, his mind returning to the small girl beside him.

"She's just going out for a flight, she'll be back in an hour or so," Fang replied, almost to himself. He hadn't realized this was that big of deal, but then again, Max could be a bit overly dramatic at times. She'd be back…

Max flew into the night. It was misty and a slight drizzle began to fall as she soared into the darkness, letting her wings carry her to who knows where. She couldn't get the picture of Fang and the little hussy girl holding hands as they returned from the movies. Yes, she had told Fang she didn't mind, but all that had gone out the window when she actually had to see them together. Naturally he would go for her; she had perfect blond hair, falling in perfect little ringlets around her face, with its perfect deep-blue eyes. She was gorgeous…Max was not.

She hadn't meant to be so harsh. Sure, the choice of wording could have been better; though at the time, 'never see that blond wench again,' hadn't seemed so bad. Of course, now that she thought about it, it could've been taken the wrong way. She would just blow off some steam for a while, crawl back into bed, and face Fang in the morning. Yeah, perfect plan.

As she formulated this plan, her wings began carrying her lower and lower, getting weighed down by the sudden downpour. Max sighed. Maybe flying off into the night in the middle of a massive thunderstorm hadn't been her best idea ever. As she flew, she realized she was going to have to find somewhere to set down for the night, seeing as the wind began picking up, driving the rain into her skin like little needles.

_There!_ She spotted the small shack as she sprinted over the mud, deciding to give up flying before all her feathers were gone. True, its one window was broken and it didn't look like the door actually shut properly, but it was the best bet she had for making it through the night. 

Inside, there was a small cot with a moldy, moth-eaten blanket, and a few shelves with dusty old bottles and magazines. It looked as though this had been the hot-spot hideaway for a teenage frat party a few years ago, but it was obvious it hadn't been used since then.

Settling herself down on the floor, her back against the door, Max let herself slowly drift into a state of semi-sleep. Outside, the wind howled, picking pieces off the already thin roof of the shack, but all this did was lend to the dream Max was having. She saw herself and Fang, fighting when suddenly a group of Erasers and Flyboys attacked. She fought them off as best as she could, but they slowly began to overtake her. She called out to Fang, but he offered her no help or comfort; instead, he stood laughing at her with another group of Erasers. He raised his hand, and, at his command, her pursuers stuck her with a sharp needle, causing her to cry out.

"NOOOO!" Max yelled as she sat up with a start. She sprang up from her place on the floor, her hands up and ready in a fighting position. She turned round, searching for her attackers, knowing they were there, knowing her dream had been a reality and they really had stuck her with some sort of tranquilizer. She let her eyes drift down to her arm, finding only a shard of glass from a nearby bottle which had crashed to the ground.

Max returned to her sitting position near the door. She even managed a small laugh as she thought of the Erasers trying to find her through the storm. Not only would it be difficult for them to even move, her scent would have been long since washed away. With this thought in mind, she let herself fall back into a light doze.

The wind reached a crescendo as the driving rain pelted him, laying his fur flat on his head. Normally, this would have bothered him immensely, but not tonight. Finally, he would have her and he would have his revenge. She was alone and defenseless, and he had an offer she would never refuse…

Even as the first group of Erasers fell to the mud, Max knew she was fighting a losing battle. If she had been against five or six, maybe…but not against the fifteen that surged foreword after the four she had already disposed of. Plus, they had slammed into the shack while she was sleeping, leaving her slightly groggy and at a major disadvantage in this rain. She dogged, blocked, and kicked her way through another three before she began to feel the strain.

Unfurling her wings, Max pushed into the sky. She hovered above the shack as best as she could to get her bearings, but one of the wolf-faced mutts though the broken bottle that had woken her up not even two hours before. She moved as quickly as she could, but between her rain-soaked clothes and wings, she was too slow. It hit her in the shoulder, sending her sprawling toward the roof of the shack. She crashed through the flimsy roof and onto the cot.

"My, my…you are one for the pummeling, aren't you Maximum?" a hard voice mocked from the door. Max whirled around, ready to fight whatever came at her, only to come face-to-face with a rather mangled Eraser. Her face showed no recognition, causing the wolf-man to laugh bitterly.

"No, you wouldn't recognize me, I suppose. Of course, it has been such a long time…" he trailed off. Max spit on the floor near his feet.

"Why should I recognize a filthy Eraser like you?" she snarled, her eyes drifting to the window, gagging whether or not she was too big to fit through it. The sound of his bitter laughter drew her eyes back toward him.

"Enough of this chit-chat…I suppose we'll have to get reacquainted some other time. We haven't come to kill you, sadly. We've come to offer you a trade," the Eraser growled. Max's eyebrows shot up at an alarming speed.

"Ok…" she said slowly. She wouldn't be willing to trade whatever they wanted, she was sure, but she would humor him and hear them out.

"We are willing to call off the hunt of your flock on one condition…" he said. The Eraser managed a grin at the sight of Max's jaw hitting the floor. It couldn't be that easy…it just couldn't. Max narrowed her eyes.

"What condition?" she asked cautiously.

"You," he smiled…well evilly smirked.

"And if I refuse?" Max asked.

"Then we kill you right here and you leave your flock's lives to the fates."

**A/N: So yeah, that's the first chapter. There will be romance and all sorts of fun later on, so don't you worry about that. Reviews are appreciated! Ciao. **


	2. Of Searching and Then Some

**Dangerous Games: Chapter 2 Of Searching and Then Some**

**A/N: Wow…ok so here's the second installment! It's spring break so I'm trying to get as much done as possible before I return to the life of a teenage homework slave… Oh and the description of the story will make more sense in upcoming chapters so just hold out until then! Thank you so much to my awesome reviewers! **

**Disclaimer: Nope, still don't own 'em…**

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It was morning…that much was positive. The sun was streaming in in bright patches, chasing each other across the floor. Another "perfect" day…well, except for the fight that he and Max had gotten into the night before. Fang mentally smacked himself for being so cruel. Sure, she had fully deserved every word he had said, but he hadn't meant for her to take it so personally. I mean, friends had fights all the time, didn't they? In any case, Fang decided to get up and make Iggy make breakfast as a form of his apology to Max…though he would be expecting some sort of apology from her as well.

Fang pulled himself out of bed and shuffled across the crowded floor of his room. He would never get used to that phrase. "His room" sounded so…permanent. After they had taken down the director in Europe, Max's mom had set them up with a house of their own. She had tried for somewhere close to her house, but after the first new Eraser attack, they all decided it would best to put them in the middle of the desert, where they could fly and fight as they needed with no one close enough to see. Plus, it made it nice for the whole "green" movement since their house was solar powered. Hey, if the sun was going to be that hot, they might as well use what they could of it.

After he had dressed, Fang tiptoed into Iggy's room. He was sprawled across the bed, snoring up a massive storm, blankets strewn across him and the floor. He twitched in his sleep and Fang smiled; this was going to be fun! Iggy yelped as Fang pounced onto the bed. There was a brief scuffle in which Iggy ended up on the floor in a rather confused state and Fang sat on the bed laughing quietly.

"Ig, I need you to make breakfast. Pancakes, eggs, bacon; the whole package," Fang said as he helped Iggy back to his feet. Iggy made a face.

"I figured when I heard you and Max going at it last night. What was she mad about?" Iggy asked. Fang rolled his eyes…leave it to the deaf kid to know everything, though they hadn't been especially quiet last night.

"She was mad that I went out with Andrea," Fang said. He hadn't particularly enjoyed the date, to be honest, but he didn't know why Max had gotten so mad. It wasn't as if he had put anyone in danger.

"Women…" Iggy smiled. Fang punched him on the shoulder and plopped down on the couch to await breakfast and an apology. Several minutes later, pounding could be heard coming down the stairs toward the family room. Gasman popped in and sat on the couch with Fang, commenting on the smell of breakfast.

"Ok, so I heard you and Max fighting last night. Was it because of that girl you went out with? I didn't think she was that pretty…he shoes were so last season, and…" Nudge greeted them, but was swiftly cut off by Gazzy's hand over her mouth. He quickly pulled it away, though, as Nudge's teeth sank into the soft flesh of his palm.

"Breakfast is ready!" Iggy called, breaking off the brewing fight. Gazzy skidded to the dining table, followed quickly by Nudge. Fang stood, looking around.

"I'll go get Angel," he sighed, heading for the stairs. Angel's room was a pink wonderland, full of stuffed animals and fairies. Angel sat on her bed, her head bent in quiet concentration.

"Come on, Angel. Breakfast is ready," Fang said from the door. Angel didn't move from her spot; she didn't even look up at him. Tiny beads of sweat rolled down her temple.

"A-are you ok? What are you doing?" Fang came into the room, shutting the door behind him. Finally, Angel looked up, tears forming in her perfect blue eyes.

"I…I can't find Max anywhere," she sobbed. Fang looked confused.

"What do you mean you can't find her? You mean she hasn't gotten out of bed yet? Probably because she's still mad at me from last night…" he mumbled, half to himself. Angel shook her head.

"No…I mean she's not here…I can't find her mind," she cried. Fang's jaw almost hit the floor. He didn't even respond before he was out Angel's door, practically flying for Max's room. He skidded to a stop in front of her door, took a deep breath, and burst into the jungle that was her room. His eyes took in everything, but his mind was glued on one thing: the fact that Max was not in her bed. He threw the covers of her bed away to find nothing. He bolted out the door and sprinted down the stairs.

"Dude! Fang, what's the rush?" Iggy called after him. Fang didn't even turn around; he just threw on his shoes and jacket and motioned for the others to follow him.

"Max is gone," he simply stated as he snapped his wings open and threw himself into the bright sunlight. Well, that got everyone moving and preparing to search. Max was their fearless leader, after all.

Once the whole flock was ready and in the air, Fang lead the search through most of the desert. They searched the sky, the ground, and everything else that Max could be in or around, 

but she was gone. By mid-afternoon, most of the flock was beginning to wilt, the hunger and tiredness showing on their faces. Angel was just short of falling out of the sky, trying to locate Max's mind, but to no avail.

After much persuading, as Fang would have stayed out all night, the flock finally managed to return home. Dinner was a strange event, no one saying a word. Bedtime was even more strange; Angel, Gazzy, and Nudge all cried themselves to sleep without Max there to tuck them in, Iggy tossed and turned for a while before finally falling into a restless sleep, and Fang stared at his ceiling, wondering what made her want to leave. She couldn't have been captured; she was much too strong for that. The only they could've taken her was if she was dead, and Fang didn't even want to think about that thought…

_Fang…_ He sat up in bed. Was that her? Was she really dead and trying to communicate with him?

_Fang, it's me, Angel._ He let out the breath he had been holding.

_Do you think she's really gone? You don't think she's…d-dead, do you?_ Fang could hear the tears she was crying in her thoughts. He wanted to comfort Angel, tell her everything would be alright, but at the moment, he had no idea what was going to happen.

_I hope not, Angel. I hope not…_

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**A/N: So there you have it! I'll try to update as quickly as possible, but I can't make any promises. Reviews are greatly appreciated and help motivate me to update quickly. Ciao. **


	3. Of Findings and Testings

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Dangerous Games: Chapter 3 Of findings and testings

**A/N: I'm really bad about updating my stories or forgetting about them…so I'm trying really hard to remember and update as much, and as quickly as possible. It's been a busy time for me, with preparing for exams and such. Please forgive me and I promise the next chapter will be out much more quickly!**

**Disclaimer: You know the drill.**

It had been almost four days since Max disappeared. After getting over the initial shock of this, the flock began to search and hack their way through any possible remaining Itex or School-like facilities, but they found none. As they scoured the internet, Angel sat in her room; her mind stretched as far as it could go, looking for any trace of Max. She had found nothing, except in her nightmarish dreams of Erasers and bloody torture. Gazzy sat and watched Nudge work her magic on the computer all day, his eyes never dry anymore. Iggy paced nervously or sat and listened to the clicking keys of the computer. Occasionally, he ventured to the piano; while he played the whole house stopped to listen.

Fang was a different story. While the others searched from home, he set to flying throughout the desert, convinced that Max wasn't really captured. He didn't know where she was, but he knew she wouldn't have been taken. He came home every morning around three, slept until eleven, then set back out. It was on the fourth day that he found the little shack.

He barely noticed it flying through the blasting sunlight, but naturally his hawk-like vision spotted and he swung back around to land in front of it. The first thing he saw was the large hole in the roof, almost in the shape of a person with outstretched arms, though that could just be his mind playing tricks on him right? He saw no trace that any activity had gone on any time in the near past, so he stepped up to the door. He pulled the door open, gaping at the degree of disarray inside.

His eyes took in the broken bottles, the maimed cot in the corner, and the mass of dust on the floor. No one had been here recently…the dust coating the floor and every other surface attested to that. His eyes swept the small shack once more, hoping to find something, anything really…but nothing. He sighed. He didn't know what he had been hoping to find…a note, footprints, feathers…feathers! There on the floor, not a few inches from his feet lay five feathers, tawny with a hint of black, just like Max's. Two of the group were tinted with dried blood, making Fang shudder. What had happened to her?

He kneeled down gently to pick up the feathers, spinning them between his fingers.

_FANG!!_ His mind erupted with a tremor of overwhelming thoughts. He held his head between his hands, his mind pounding with the excitement and fear in the voice.

_Angel! Calm down! I can't understand you!_ He sent back. He would never get used to that. Angel had never communicated with him directly mind to mind until they discovered Max was missing. He knew that was how the girls talked, but man he was not used to her invading his mind like that. However, she still didn't send back a clear message, just a jumble of incoherent thoughts full of excitement and pure joy.

_Angel! What is it?!_ He demanded. His mind couldn't take much more of her intrusion…

_I THINK I FOUND MAX!! _

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"Whoa! Doctor, what was that?" a small, nervous-looking man demanded. His large eyes, magnified by the thick, round glasses on his sweaty face widened at the sudden blast of brain activity from his current subject. They were just getting the procedure under way and he didn't want to run into any problems, like this subject dying on him…she was number 784 after all. The doctor looked up from his work at the monitor, which was going crazy.

"Her brain activity is up 300...I don't know what could be causing it, though. We haven't even started," the doctor said.

"It's the little mind-reader. She's trying to locate the subject. We're going to have to suspend the project until we can make this room just as mind-proof as her holding cell," a female burst into the room. She was a tall woman, her stilettos clicking smartly on the clean, stark-white tile floor. Her copper hair was pulled up into a French twist, her face framed by black rimmed glasses.

"Suspend the project?" the nervous man said in awe. "No, we cannot suspend it now. We're already behind schedule as it is, and phase two will take at least a year and a half to fully form." The woman raised a perfectly plucked eyebrow at him.

"If they find her, your little pet project will be terminated. If that happens, and you lose me money, you'll find yourself in a trashcan somewhere in Harlem," the woman coolly replied as she turned to exit the room.

"In a trashcan…" the nervous man stuttered.

"In a million tiny pieces," she enunciated before the door slid smoothly shut. The man pulled out a handkerchief, wiping his balding head.

"That woman will be the death of me…"

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Max slowly opened her eyes, dimly taking in her surroundings. She had been in the institute for nearly two weeks, and all they had done was run tests on her. Didn't they already have all this data from Angel? Sure, she was older than the little blond girl, but they were basically the same type of person, right? One thing had nagged at her though…they knew she was an avian-human, so why were they so interested in her flight? They knew how things flew, they were all well-educated scientists.

The tests were practically torture. Max flew for hours on end, which wouldn't have been that difficult, but they had her flying in wind tunnels dodging fast-flying projectiles. They had strapped weights on her back and forced her to fly over freezing water. They had even had the audacity to stretch out her wings, pulling on the individual feathers. _Yes people, they come off_, she had thought bitterly. But she didn't say anything. Any false word or move and her flock were as good as dead.

"784…your days testing begins now," a white coat said from a load speaker. She sighed. They went through this routine every morning. They woke her up, sprayed her down (daily "shower"), dressed her, and then lead her to the testing grounds. She knew they had wanted her for more than tests, but ever since that day they had taken her into the surgery room, they hadn't done anything more than run experiments.

They followed the daily morning routine and Max followed the white coats outside. She squinted in the sunlight; she hadn't seen the light of day in so long…and it hurt. Besides that, they seemed to have forgotten that she had wings since they gave her an outfit that had no holes in the back. She scratched at the material on her back, wanting to rip it off and sail into the sky…but she knew that her flock deserved a better life than being constantly chased by Erasers wanting to kill them.

The white coat jammed a headband over her forehead, claiming it was to monitor her brainwave patterns during the test. He also put a band around her chest, constricting her wingspan.

"Today we're going to be conducting combat abilities, but without the use of your wings," the man said, going over the notes on his clip board. Max almost fell over. They couldn't be serious. They wanted her to fight without her wings…this could not be happening…but it was. Just as she was about to rip off the band around her midsection, a buzzer sounded from the loudspeaker. This wasn't going to end well…

It started out with two. It was a struggle, which was a bit of understatement, but Max managed to dispose of them fairly quickly. As she punched, kicked, twirled, and jabbed, the white coat diligently scrawled notes on his clipboard. Just as she began to regain her breath, the buzzer sounded again, signaling the arrival of four new Erasers. Max grimaced. This _really_ wasn't going to end well…

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"Well, well…if it isn't my old friend Maximum," a man drawled from behind her just as she finished with the last of the four Erasers, nearly a half-hour later. She spun quickly, almost losing her balance from the exhaustion. The speaker was a well-dressed man, well-built with black hair and intense violet eyes. She couldn't recall having ever seen him before.

"This reminds me of the last time we met…ah, how time seems to enjoy repeating itself," he grinned, his teeth almost Eraser-sharp. She stared at him. He did look somewhat familiar…in fact he almost looked like Fang, but the cruel sneer on his face brought that thought to a screeching halt.

"Though, if you didn't recognize me the first time, you certainly wouldn't recognize me like this," the man continued. The first time? What the hell was that supposed to mean? Max was certain they had never met before…though to be fair, she didn't remember much from before escaping the School, at least nothing more than tests and dog cages. The man shrugged.

"Ah well…we'll have plenty of time to catch up. And after they're done with you…well, let's just say that I'm very much looking forward to that time," he grinned again, sending shivers down Max's spine.

"It's time. Those imbeciles are finally finished with the operation room," the copper-haired woman announced as she approached the white coat standing to the side, still scribbling notes. "We can begin the procedure at last."

**A/N: Ok…so finally the chapter is here! I know where I want this to go, so hopefully I won't get stuck when writing and I simply need to find the time! With summer break coming up I think I'll be able to write a lot more! Keep reading and keep those comments and suggestions coming! Ciao**


	4. Of Procedures and Shattered Hopes

**Dangerous Games: Chapter 4 [Of Procedures and Shattered Hopes]**

**A/N: Ok…so I know it's been FOREVER since I last updated…and I honestly don't have a good excuse for why I haven't updated. I've simply been lazy. So, here goes nothing…**

**Disclaimer: Yada yada yada.**

Max didn't know how long it had been, but ever since the day that she had fought the Erasers without her wings, she hadn't been removed from her cell. It seemed as though it had been weeks, but she had only received seven meals, making this day four (they only fed her twice a day). She wasn't sure what kind of procedure they had planned for her, but she knew it probably wasn't going to feel that nice. Regardless, in her four days of solitary confinement, she had plenty of time to speculate.

The tests they had run on her had been…well, bizarre to say the least. Max knew that they had a ton of data from when Angel had been kidnapped back when the whole nightmare began, but these exercises were just weird. They had her swimming (as though a winged kid needed to swim), they had her flying in wind tunnels (though, that didn't seem so strange after the whole hurricane incident), and they were playing with her diet. Not to mention, the endless poking, prodding, scraping, and scratching they were doing. It wasn't what you would call torture, exactly, but it certainly wasn't particularly pleasant.

The more and more Max thought about what they wanted with her, the more and more she was completely confused. They obviously weren't simply collecting data, they could've taken any of the flock for that; besides, the white coats kept talking about a "procedure." No, something big was about to happen…she just didn't quite know what yet. More than that though, Max's mind kept going back to the man in the courtyard. He looked so familiar, but she just couldn't put her finger on it…like she had met him before. He looked almost exactly like…

Max slumped to the floor. A small dart stuck unassumingly out of the small of her back. As she slid to the floor, the door to her holding cell slid open.

"See, I told you that would be sufficient. A local, fast acting tranquilizer will do fine until we get her to the lab," the copper-haired woman said. The plump white coat swiped at his forehead with his handkerchief unconsciously. Sometimes, the woman scared him.

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Max hurt. She hurt all over. And it wasn't just the aching sort of hurt, like after a long workout; no, it was an all over, in and out, constant pain that kept her swimming in and out of consciousness for days. After the procedure, she had woken up back in her cell in this horrifying pain, though she what they had done to her. When she had finally been able to even open her eyes or lift a muscle, she had seen that she was covered in tiny scars and that her skin had turned a kind of ashen grey. After the procedure, the white coats stopped bothering her; of course, they continued to feed her, but she wasn't taken out of her cell for testing any more. Apparently, they had gotten whatever they needed from the procedure.

It was a month after the procedure when Max finally began to regain use of her body and the pain began to subside. Finally she was able to think again, and think she did. What was it that the white coats and that scary woman had wanted? Max had examined her bruises and scars and had been able to make no sense of them since they covered her body. _Obviously I've been dissected_, Max thought bitterly as she inspected the vertical scar running the length of her stomach. But why would they dissect her? They knew what was going on inside her body…they had created her after all. So what did they want from her….?

"You know, you make the most amusing faces when you're thinking, Maximum," a smooth voice commented from the intercom. Max's face instantly dropped into that of pure, unadulterated hatred.

"Oh, come now, Maximum. You will have to learn to play along better than that if we are to spend any time together. Besides, think of your flock," the voice snarled from the speaker. Max dropped her face to the floor. He was right, of course. She had to think about her flock…they didn't deserve to live a life of running and fighting. She had to behave if they were going to live.

"Ah…that's better. Now then, perhaps we can have a little chat, hmm?" the voice asked coolly. Max's eyebrows twitched up a notch, but she said nothing. A moment later, the door of her cell opened and the well-dressed man from the field stepped inside with a chair. Max turned to face him, her back against the wall, all of her senses alert. But the man simply set the chair down in the middle of the cell and sat, his eyes calmly staring her down. She returned his gaze just as calmly.

"Oh Maximum, you haven't changed a bit…always weighing the options, putting others first. It makes me sick, really. You could have been so much more…oh well," the man sighed after a while. Max started. How did this man know her so well? They had never met, she was sure of it. So why did he seem so familiar?

"Well, since you can't seem to remember me, let me formally introduce myself. I am Zion Blue," he said with a smile that didn't even come close to reaching his blood-red eyes. Max said nothing in return.

"You will have to speak to me eventually, Maximum," Zion said after a short silence. "If you wish to learn anything, you will have to speak to me. Unfortunately, you won't be permitted to leave your cell until the third stage begins, but the time will pass even more slowly if you refuse to talk." And with that, he stood, swept the chair into his arms, and was out the door.

Maximum slowly let out the breath that she had been holding. She had made it through that rather unpleasant meeting, but she couldn't shake the feeling of dread that had taken hold of chest. She didn't know who this man was, but she had a nagging sense that at one time, she had known him very well…if only she could place it. Besides that, she was very unhappy that she wasn't to be released from her cell until this "phase three" started; but how long could phase two take, right? But underneath all of these thoughts, Max felt the sense of doom sinking in. Whatever they had done to her, she knew it couldn't be good for anyone, especially her flock…

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It had two months and fourteen days since Max had disappeared. Angel had been counting. Two months and fourteen days. In that time, all they had managed to do was discover that Max had presumably been forcibly taken from a small shack a short way from their house and that at least a few days after she had initially vanished, she had still been alive. Angel had been ecstatic when she had touched minds with Max, but after that brief touch, she had been unable to pick up her surrogate mother's mind anywhere. It was frustrating and disheartening and Angel was slowly becoming more and more depressed.

It wasn't just Angel that took the disappearance hard. Gazzy had been inconsolable in the first few days, but after that, he had become almost as zombie-like as his sister. They had even started sleeping in the same room and rarely came out anymore.

Nudge had stopped talking. That was all there was to it. When her internet searches had yielded no helpful information, she had simply stopped speaking to anyone. Every morning she came down to breakfast, then sat in front of the computer screen for hours on end, searching for any sign of anything that might lead them to Max, all without uttering a word. Unfortunately, she had failed to find even a trace of anything.

Iggy remained mostly the same, though he rarely made any sort of joke and didn't do much of anything anymore, really. He spent most of time sitting at the piano, plinking out depressing melodies, silent tears falling from his eyes, though anymore even those failed to come.

Then there was Fang. Actually, the flock hadn't seen much of Fang since he had discovered the shack over two months ago. After he had found Max's blood-stained feathers, he had embarked on a search that took him over most of the country; he even visited Max's mother, Dr. Martinez. He carried the Max's feathers with him as a reminder of what he was looking for and continued his search over seas. He visited the places where there had been schools, but to no avail. It was as if Max just didn't exist anymore. In fact, he was beginning to think that she had planted the feathers there herself and simply flew off to live a better life without them. Of course every time he thought this, he had to mentally punch himself. Max would never do that…she was their fearless leader, they needed her and she knew that. So then…where was she?

Fang had returned to the flock empty handed and empty hearted. It had been three days since his return, and he refused to leave his room. The others thought that he was trying to cope with his grief, and to an extent, this was true. In reality, though, he was thinking. It had been over two months since Max had disappeared and there had been no Eraser attacks, even though this would be a prime time to attack, when they were mourning and off their guard. What were they waiting for? As he sat thinking, his mind drifted off…

"_You know, I just wish that we could live normal lives, like normal kids, you know?" Max asked dreamily. He and Max were lying on the roof of their house, faces toward the stars. He turned his head to look at her. The moonlight drifted dreamily over her face, reflecting perfectly in her brown eyes and creating a halo of blond hair around her. _

"_If I had the chance to give you guys a normal life, I would take it…I would take it without thinking twice, no matter the price," she said as she turned to face him. Her face was joyous and full of contentment, but her eyes showed the seriousness of the statement._

"_Don't even talk like that, Max. You know that the flock couldn't survive without you," he responded, his heart beginning to race in his chest. What was she talking about? Was she planning on leaving them?_

"_Right…the flock….I was only kidding anyway," she laughed, though he thought that he could detect a hint of sadness in her voice. He was about to say something further when the sound of a car pulling up interrupt him._

"_Looks like your date is here…" she said bitterly. He rolled his eyes as they slid off the roof and onto his balcony. Women…he would never understand them…_

Fang's eyes snapped open. Is this what she had been talking about? Did she give herself over to the School or some School-like agency to stop the Eraser attacks? He knew that Max wanted nothing more than to give the flock a chance at a normal life, but had she really given herself up for them? Fang shut his eyes again and slammed his fists on the desk in front of him.

Of course they weren't going to find Max…because she didn't want to be found…

**A/N: Sorry again that it took me almost a year to update!!!! I'd actually nearly forgotten about this story until someone reviewed and asked me why I didn't continue. Thanks for asking, because here I am, continuing! Anywho, reviews are always appreciated. Ciao.**


	5. Of Flights and Food

**Dangerous Games: Chapter 5 [Of Flights and Food]**

**A/N: So here we go…chapter 5. I know that I am HORRIBLE at updating but I get so busy, especially during this time of year, what with exams and all. But, none of you care about that…you're here for the story…so on to the main event!**

**Disclaimer: I OWN THEM!!!! Nah…just kidding.**

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It had been two years…two years that she had been stuck in this god-forsaken hell hole. She had thought that once they were through with her that maybe they'd let her go…or at least let her go somewhere else. But no. Of course not, right? When did those good-for-nothing white coats ever do something that was "good" or "nice?" The answer was never. Actually, the scientists didn't even visit her anymore. Apparently, they had gotten what they needed from their little procedure that had left her scarred and in an almost constant state of pain. Sure, it had eased up from what she had first felt, but it never really went away. In fact, she almost always had a headache, and sometimes it even rivaled her "brain blasts" from the Voice. Which was another thing…her Voice hadn't said a word to her in all that time. Either she had done the right thing…or she had done something very wrong. A girl has a lot of time to think when she's locked up in a tiny white cell alone for years on end.

That wasn't strictly true though. She was never really alone. She knew that day in and day out, Zion Blue, the Eraser that seemed familiar, but she couldn't quite place, watched her. He visited her cell twice a week, with each visit going exactly the same. He would come in with some wry insult, and she would feel…well, insulted, and that would piss her off. They would exchange venomous words, and he would leave with a look of pure satisfaction. It made her sick really.

"Once again, Maximum, you never fail to bring me an excellent source of humor and entertainment," Zion smirked as he sidled into the room. Speak of the devil.

"Always a pleasure, Mr. _Red_," she spat back. She reveled in mistaking his name, though it had yet to make an impact, which slightly deflated her ego. Zion merely grinned.

"Indeed it is, Maximum…indeed it is," his black eyes glittered mischievously. It always astounded her that his eyes could be so dark and empty. If eyes were the gateway to the soul then this man didn't have one.

"How are your migraines? Getting any worse? And how about the full body pain?" Zion continued. Max looked up, startled. If there was one thing that she didn't talk about, as a rule of thumb, it was how she felt. She knew that she had never said anything to him about her pain, nor had she let on that she was in said pain…well, ever. So how did he know?

"Not in a talkative mood today, are we? Well that's just fine, we'll have plenty of time to talk very soon," he commented lightly. Once again she stared at him without saying a word. She watched as he left the room, his body suddenly gone as the sliding doors whirred shut. Once again, she was left with her mind reeling to comprehend what had just happened, and what he meant by "plenty of time." Was she finally going to be free of this place?

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"Food run!" The call swept through the house like wildfire. Gazzy rocketed down the stairs, calling out his rather large order, without even asking where the food was coming from. Iggy was close behind, his order just as large, but told in a more controlled manner. Angel was nowhere to be seen. Nudge raced down the stairs, lips moving so fast that the words coming out of her mouth seemed to be a second behind her motor mouth. Fang sighed. As usual he would have to go to the little winged mind reader. She never left her room…of course none of them wanted to leave their rooms but Fang did it to stay strong for the flock, Gazzy did it to be strong for his sister, Nudge did it because she couldn't stand not talking [even with Max…well, you know], and Iggy did it because he couldn't stand not doing anything. Angel, on the other hand, had taken to sitting in her room, her mind relentlessly scouring the planet for any sign of Max, to no avail.

"Angel…I'm going on a food run. What do you want?" Fang asked softly as he entered the blond child's room. As usual, she sat on her bed, legs crossed, eyes shut in deep concentration. Sweat shimmered on her pale skin, her once shinning golden locks hung limply around her face.

"Not hungry," she mumbled without opening her eyes. Fang sighed again. He made his way to her canopy bed and sat, awkwardly placing his arm around her shoulders. Her deep blue eyes fluttered open and gazed at him without emotion.

"Angel, you have to eat. I know that looking for…Max," here he paused, letting her name slowly twist the knife in his stomach a little deeper, "is important to you, but you need to take of yourself as well." She let her face fall to the floor. Then, slowly, she threw her feet over the side of her bed and stood.

"I'm not going to find her, am I?" she asked in a small, quivering voice. Fang let out the breath he hadn't known he had been holding.

"No…no I don't think you are," he responded just as quietly. She gave a small nod and started for the door. Fang silently followed her down the stairs.

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Fang let his wings snap open. He would always love the feeling of the sun and the warm desert wind on his black wings. He stood for a second, letting himself feel a short, guiltless moment of unadulterated pleasure before launching into the sky. He felt the air rushing past him, felt the powerful thrust of his wings as he soared higher and higher. Even with everything that had happened over the past few years, he couldn't help but feel happy and free from everything when he was in the sky. He couldn't help but feel complete when he was flying.

It was the monthly food run into the nearest town, and it was Fang's turn to do it. Of course, it was always Fang's turn since he didn't trust the others not to get caught or in some sort of trouble, but he didn't really mind the chance to stretch his wings and get away from the flock to be alone with his thoughts. Every time he made this trip, though, he only thought of one thing…Max. And how could he not? He just couldn't believe she had up and left them without so much as a goodbye. He thought they were good enough friends to at least warrant that…maybe even more. He quickly shook the thought from his head as he neared the town.

Fang craftily landed on the roof of a small elementary school that was closed for the summer and surveyed the area. As usual, there was nothing to report. There was never anything to report anymore; no Erasers, no Flyboys, no nothing. Not that he minded that, it was just bizarre and he was still getting used to that.

"Fang, people will notice a young man standing on top of the school, even if it is summer," a voice hissed from below. Fang managed a small grin. Leave it to Dr. Martinez to notice everything, even when he was trying his hardest to be sneaky.

"It's the easiest place to land," he said simply as he hopped down from the roof. Dr. Martinez shook her head. When Max had first disappeared, the flock had called on Dr. M, thinking that maybe she would know where her daughter was. Sadly, she had no idea. Ever since, though, Fang had met her in town once a month to do the grocery shopping since the flock had no money.

"Speaking of school, I still think the five of you should consider enrolling here in town since the attacks have stopped. I think it would be a good thing to occupy your minds," Dr. Martinez said casually as she and Fang made their way toward the town grocer. She slipped this into the conversation every chance she got. Every time, Fang said no. These days, she dropped the subject fairly quickly, seeing that it was getting her nowhere.

The two entered the air conditioned market. It was a small, family owned store, rare by any standards in this day in age, but it had everything that growing avian-mutants needed to survive. The owner was a squat woman in her fifties that always wore a hideous floral apron and a beaded hairnet over her greasy black curls. She was nice, though, and never asked questions about the amount of food that Dr. M and Fang always left with.

"Well hello there sugar," she greeted when the two shoppers were done. Fang simply nodded and let a small smile tug at the corner of his mouth. The owner beamed at him as she rang up the items. As soon as Dr. M had paid, the pair was out the door and struggling with the bags toward her car. It just wasn't possible for Fang to fly back with all the bags alone, so Dr. M drove them back to the house, and cooked for them one night a month, as well.

"I think Marcy likes you," Dr. M grinned as they made their way to her small car. Fang grimaced as he thought of the plump store owner. They continued on in a comfortable silence back toward the school. Fang idly gazed around the town, taking in the small, whitewashed buildings and rusty pickup trucks that everyone seemed to have. Even the petite blond girl exiting the store across the street seemed to be getting into a rusty old truck.

_Petite blond!_ Fang did a double take at the girl as she climbed into the truck. He couldn't properly see her face but he could tell that she was tall, but not quite as tall as he was. She was thin, almost lanky, but with a certain grace. He blond hair floated carelessly around her head in windswept wisps. He wished she would just turn toward him…she seemed so familiar, yet he couldn't quite place it. As the truck pulled away, she finally turned to look at him, brown eyes smiling toward him…brown eyes he could never forget, no matter how hard he tried. Then she was gone in a cloud of dust, the truck rumbling down the road in the opposite direction.

"Fang? What are you doing?" Dr. Martinez asked from behind him.

"Nothing, I was just thinking…when does school start, again?"

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**A/N: So there you have it! Woo hoo! I know that my chapters are short but I don't like them too long or you lose focus, ya know? Anyway, the more love and reviews I get, the faster I update. So start loving! Ciao.**


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